**NEW ALBUM GYPSY GIRL OUT NOW** It is a familiar story, the country girl goes to the big smoke to pursue a career and doesn't come back. This isn't the case for Diana Cormie, a passionate singer/songwriter, who has returned to her roots to forge a path as one of the newest rising stars of Australian music.

A review by the Half A Cow record label states “Diana has a great voice, full of confidence and emotion and it sounds like she can handle the highs and lows required for 'modern' country music. You can look forward to an album full of fantastic songs by a very talented new voice in Australian music”. Originally from Coonabarabran, in country NSW, and now based in the Hunter Valley, Diana’s music will take you on a journey through life. You will only have to listen to her music once to be singing along to the catchy melodies.

www.maverick-country.com

Not too much background information on Australian singer-songwriter Diana Cormie who has a neat 12 track demo CD "All I Know" (www.diana.net.au) available through her website.  She grew up in rural Coonabarabran in North West New South Wales, but unlike the majority of Aussie country gal singers, she lacks that annoying nasally country twang.  Yet she still sounds country, due to the liberal use of twangy electric guitars and honest, straightforward lyrics married to easily remembered melodies.  Even on the acoustic numbers, which jut feature Diana and her acoustic guitar, she is clearly country, especially on the autobiographical $10 (a touch of Kasey Chambers but without the nasal vocal tones) and the well-written, heart-breaking What Goes Around.

Our Demo Of The Week 17th May, 2004 is...drum roll please:
Diana - Review by Half A Cow Records

This week finds us in unfamiliar territory here at the HAC demo lab with a charming 10 track effort from singer-songwriter type, Diana. While not the style of music usually associated with HAC (most cds reviewed here aren't), the quality of Diana's songs really stood out from the pack. Hailing from Coonabarabran in North West NSW, the twangy electric guitars give away an allegiance to country rock/pop, but we're not about to compare Diana to the current crop of nose-vocalists ("hi Kasey!") - she's far better than that - she sings through her mouth.

Divided into two sections, the demo's first five songs are properly produced (quite well we might add) and shows an obvious knack for writing and arranging top quality songs in the country-pop genre. By contrast, the remaining songs (except track 10) feature unembellished acoustic guitar/vocal recordings. Diana has a great voice, full of confidence and emotion and it sounds like she can handle the highs and lows required for 'modern' country music. The stand out tracks are 'I Read Your Stars', 'It's A Game', 'What Goes Around' (a very moving and sad song, as is '1000 Words'), and the final track 'I've Got You'. If the acoustic tracks are more recent compositions, then we can look forward to a debut album full of fantastic songs by a very talented new voice in Australian music. Here at HAC, we've found a new love. - BP